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ABOUT THE STORY:
When the world's largest delta of Sundarbans is on the threshold of climatic degradation, the forest officer Vedhant Singha Roy, sets out on a challenging mission not only to rescue the isla...
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The churning river surged tirelessly, its forceful tides menacingly tugging at me as I endeavored to stay buoyant. Within seconds, the boat flipped, leaving Ruhika and me stranded in the water. With all my strength, I fought to stay above water, but the riptide relentlessly pulled me away from the shore.
Positioning myself to swim parallel to the current, I turned my body towards it. I knew that swimming against the riptide would be pointless and drain my energy quickly. Instead, I had to figure out how to swim my way out of it. Battling through each stroke, I prioritized staying calm, saving energy, and moving forward bit by bit.
The water felt frigid and unwavering, causing my muscles to ache. Maintaining a steady rhythm, I forcefully propelled myself sideways with long strokes. Despite the strong current, I was resolute in my determination to escape. Glancing behind me, I hoped to check out Ruhika, but the swirling water obstructed my vision. Despite being worried, I couldn't allow myself to panic.
While swimming, I felt the current's hold on me weaken. Even though I managed to avoid the most powerful part of the riptide, getting to the shore still felt dauntingly distant. Filling my lungs with air, I prepared myself for the final push by mustering my energy. The heaviness of my drenched clothes made each movement more challenging, but I was determined to swim ashore.
I increased the strength of my kicks as I neared the shore, making my strokes more forceful. As I made my way towards the shallow water, my legs trembled and caused me to stumble. I struggled to make it to the shore, desperately gasping for air. The river persisted in its unrelenting flow, but I was beyond its reach. Pausing briefly to collect myself, I let my thoughts to be consumed by Ruhika's absence.
A wave of panic engulfed me as I hurriedly looked around the water and the shoreline, shouting her name. "Ruhika!"
My voice reverberated, but there was no response, only silence. It occurred to me she could be anywhere — possibly taken by the current or, even more concerning, lost in the uninhabited forest I had warned her about. Paying no attention to my tiredness, I exerted an effort to stand up and examine the shore.
Standing on the banks of the Bidyadhari river, I faced the waters. It was indeed calm, and my illusion of a storm wrecking our boat turned out to be futile.
I held my hands to my mouth and furrowed my brow. Despite not expecting it, I kept going towards the lined huts behind me.
There I met with Sujoy, who was leaning forward with his hands catching a fishing bait, most probably trying to capture a fish from the water.
"Sujoy, wasn't a storm that occurred a while ago?" I asked him, my voice still trembling at Ruhika's well-being. "Yet, the waters are unusually peaceful."
"Saheb, there was no storm today. You are perhaps under a misconception."
"Are you serious?" My jaw dropped, and I quickly scanned my surroundings. "I've lost sight of Ruhika after my boat flipped over. This cannot be merely a coincidence."
